Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Probably a good idea. Less chance of stepping on plants. If you're like me, you'll pack those beds full of plants. And you won't compact the soil either.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I'm building a few little planter boxes to put on my back porch for my daughter and I to do some gardening together. I can't wait to get started.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Garden time! Got my raised garden box built and hope to get it filled with dirt within the next couple of weeks. My little helping hand will be turning four this year and I have a feeling she will really enjoy the outdoors with dad.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I built a little box and my daughter chose to plant small sweet bell peppers and wild flowers.

https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hp...03&oe=55B412C8

https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hp...b7&oe=5582188B

https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hp...ea&oe=557FF5A2

She is so excited. I can't wait until it starts sprouting and she really gets into it.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Sorry to hear you gave up the good fight, Jamie. :D
After almost 30 years, I've decided not to start my own plants this year, other than things I can start in the ground.
I hate to be limited to "what's available", but around here, that's a lot. Not so much so back home in the sticks.

I have two gardens here, a little one on the side and a big one out back.
The soil is horrid. I heavily amended the side garden and can grow a bonanza out there.
I have to amend every hole out back just to grow something.
The back garden has been a huge failure 2 our of 3 years because it's all clay and holds too much water. I'll give it this year and then it'll be grass, as well.
I'll build a couple raised beds and call it a day.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

FINALLY got my seeds planted Monday. I am about 2 weeks late this year. Oh well....they are in.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ps4uh0tf3m.jpg

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

You're ahead of me Chip. I bought the soil mix, but been too lazy to do anything more.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

First year of doing all seeds. Everything but the Corn is heirloom.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Start em young, Earl.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Seedling tray setup, seeds planted. Now we wait. Tomatoes, cukes, eggplant, radishes, onions, bell peppers, serranos, brussel sprouts, kale, watermelon, and prob a couple more I'm forgetting.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...psfpz3tysm.jpg
The 2 big ones shown here are 16'x4'
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...pssfgjxfjk.jpg
This on is 8'x4' and will have cucumbers growing near the fencing I used to grow and vine upwards and the other end will be my herbs. Next week we will fill it the dirt. here in Wyoming I wait until May to plant.
Mack

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Wow, nice setup Mack!

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Some good looking setups Im seeing on here for this season! :)

Planting eight apple trees out back this weekend. Digging holes in this area is some back braking work. If these rocks were gold, I'd be outa here.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I have spouts for everything but Jalapenos, Reapers and Bell Peppers. It must be a pepper thing. I put them on a heat mat to raise the soil temp to 85* (ish).

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Hopefully my seedlings have started by the time I get home from my work trip. I did my plants from seed for the first time last year, using a seed mat. Works great.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I forgot though to start my chiltepin pepper plants. Need to get an earlier start than last year. Didn't get squadoosh from them before the first frost.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Checked my seedlings today. 6 days after planting and I already need to transplant my radish, kale, lettuce and a couple others.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Coming along nicely....

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...psqzsiicsx.jpg

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I bought a mat for the peppers. They seems to favor a very warm soil. Everything else did fine with solid 70*-75*

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Ok Gardeners I have a question. Do I go with a drip system, soaker hose or do a combo thing? This will be for my raised beds. Lets hear your thoughts what worked what didn't? I will be doing normal garden plants tomato, squash water melon cantaloupe carrot radish and onion but I also want to do herbs
Thanks Mack

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

drip via pvc is what i do

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I brought my 5 fig trees up out of the basement

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Just a few more weeks and I can start playing in the dirt.
That might be a little ambitious, but I hope it dries out well enough to at least prepare my side garden and get in some cold crops.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Spent the day filling my garden box with dirt and then finally getting some plants in. Man my butt is whooped! See all the trips up and down the hill!

[IMG]http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...ds/image_6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...ds/image_7.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Looking good, Hal!!! :tu
I live on a cliff just like you.

I have some daffodils and crocuses coming up in the side garden, forgot all about them. I need to go dig up more and put them in, I know where there's a few huge patches.

I need to fertilize the grass and it's almost time to get the sprinklers fired up, make dirt for the garden, and all that good stuff.
Still a few more weeks till things will dry up enough to get at them.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Transplanted a few radish seedlings in one of my planting beds. Let's see if they can stand the cold weather. Seed book suggests not starting indoors, oops.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Looks like most of the trees and shrubs I planted last year made it. Lots of buds and leaves popping out.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

How are they coming boys? I'm building another (2) 10X4 beds whenever this rain stops. All my seedlings are coming along. Probably go to ground May2.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Finally got them full 2 yards each top soil and a yard of compost each.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...psq7yxkgm6.jpg

And this sounds odd but my wife, kids and myself have started a fairy garden
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...psqijaqqmi.jpg

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Nice Mack, you'll get a lot out of those beds.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Nice beds Mack! Like the fairy garden also.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Spent most of the weekend in the yard. Picked up some replacement plants for the beds, put down a sh-load of mulch, and cut the grass. We were able to pick some lettuce from the garden to have in our salads.
[IMG]http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/image_11.jpg[/IMG]

Still working the bottom grass down by the garden trying to get it caught up with the rest of the back yard. I've busted my ass on that hill numerous times when its wet….
[IMG]http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...s/image_10.jpg[/IMG]

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Finally got my seedlings to the ground. Starting from seed is a pain via transplant. I'll direct sow next year.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

The garden just dried out enough for me to get it cleaned up.
I should get some cold crops put in the side garden, but I'm not all that excited yet.
May around here really weathers all over the place. It just got nice a couple days ago.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Sounds like you're about to come out of hibernation. ;)

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

That's my master plan, Chronic. :tu

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I transplanted my seedlings this past weekend. What a couple days of warm weather and real sunshine make. I think my tomato plants have already grown 1-2".

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Mine too. I did lose some in my tomato bed. I have some extras in an overflow bed though.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Well fellas, I think I can officially post in this thread now. Wife and I and fed up with having nothing in the yard. We decided and purchased an avocado tree (10-12 yrs old), and 2 citrus trees (potted right now), tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, basil, and mint. We'll see how far we can take them. Hopefully our green thumbs don't give way.

Any advice on any of these? Definitely do not want to see any of them perish, especially the avocado tree.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Good luck Jay. I'm in the process of buying a home. I'm hoping it moves along quickly. One reason is we were hoping to get some gardening going. Perhaps it'll just be planting some fruit trees and figuring out/managing the kinds of berries are already growing on the property.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Sadly I have nothing to add. My home plot is gone. My dad has a garden and has a few long rows of Irish and Red potatoes, way more than our 3 families will be able to eat. I planted some pumpkins for the kids in the back of his garden. Other than that, nothing to report. Glad to see you guys getting off you azzes and working in those gardens! Makes me smile.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I pulled a radish the other day, first I've ever grown. Never been a big radish fan, but my tastes have changed as I've gotten older. Was a little spicy, a little sweet too. Glad I planted a bunch more.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

:noon just got all of my plants today. Planting this weekend will get pictures up soon.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Nicely done Mack. :tu

They're calling for a possible freeze in my area next week. Ugh.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

:c:cWell chit guess I will only plant my seeds today weather showing 55 high and low at 35! Son of a beach!
I am so happy I didn't plant a week ago we had a hail storm roll through and ripped apart the flowers we had out.
Mack

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Mack, if you're planting tomatoes up your way, and with your type of weather in Wyoming, what varieties are popular? I would think some short season variety...

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Jay, where abouts are you now in SoCal and what variety of Avocado did you purchase? Is it a standard, semi-standard, or dwarf tree?

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Roma and big boy are the types I am planting plenty of grow time just getting impatient! Beds are 59* showing moist. Ambiant T* is 56* right now. I have my spinach lettuce and onions in.

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

I just checked the moon phase and we can't plant till the weekend after the 2nd.
I still have to amend the soil in the back garden, but we can plant the side garden whenever. It's ready to go.
I'm stoked. The last two years were awful. This year is gonna be awesome. :tu

Re: Gardeners in the Asylum
 

Nice varieties Mack! If I had the dirt area that some of you do, I'd be a planting fool and shoving asparagus, tomaters, and such in the ground... Right now, I have a couple of columnar apple trees that you see in the foreground. Not too much columnar shape as I've allowed them to spread out a tad. The one in the foreground has "sets" of marble size fruit at this time:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...psvbwkols1.jpg
I have two tomato plants in containers. The one on the left is Celebrity (determinate variety) and the one on the right is Big Beef (indeterminate variety). Big Beef was a mistake. I wanted two Celebrities and pulled two out of the "Celebrity" box. When I got home and checked the tags, I saw that someone had misplaced a variety in the Celebrity area. Oh well, we'll have to run with Big Beef and see how it looks in a couple of months. Both plants are already setting fruit:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps4c49x3v3.jpg

And then, my pride and joy I've been nurturing since 2004, as it developed from small pieces of bark (about 12" L x 5" W), is the Stag Horn plant:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...psjotq9hod.jpg

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...psvf79bgw9.jpg

I've been thinking about bring in a couple of 28" pots (similar to what the columnar apples are sitting in) to increase tomatoes, but I'll wait till next season on that...